


A Lifetime Is Not Long Enough

by Songofpsalms297



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Eluvians, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition, decades of shenanigans, dwarven memory crystal, friend/comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 20:03:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8461156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Songofpsalms297/pseuds/Songofpsalms297
Summary: Sad times for Inquisition family.





	

He was always too cocky for his own damn good. “Vishante Kaffas, Amatus! Why did you stop being cautious! And why now?” Dorian hurriedly swiped the tear that escaped from between his lashes. Twenty years of love and laughter wiped away in an instant by those adulteri nequam. Dorian can still see the twinkle in Bull’s eye, the last time Dorian stole a kiss. Can still feel the rumble of Bull’s laughter whenever they snuggled close by the fire, and Dorian grumbled about, well, anything.  
Bull’s laugh was the largest reason Dorian complained about anything these days. Bull’s laughter warmed Dorian in much the same way, Bull’s love did. Dorian knew a much kinder world through his love’s eyes than the world he was exposed to in the Magesterium. Daily he worked within a shark’s tank, factions splitting and melding as power flowed through the halls of influence. Infighting within and without. Magisters, and Alti, arguing about policy, and preservation, all under the unwieldy banner of “Making Tevinter Great Again!” Coming home to Bull’s expansive welcome every night helped keep Dorian sane. He didn’t know how he was going to, “No. Do not allow yourself to dwell for now. Later. When we are home. Then. But not now. For now, one step at a time.”  
Dorian shuddered as he groped blindly for his half of the memory crystal. It mattered not what the time was, Malika would answer his call. Dorian started to chuckle thinking of all the times he and Malika had awakened the other, and their respective partners over the last score of years since the Inquisition had defeated Corypheus. A wave of grief stunned Dorian, temporarily paralyzing him. What, was he doing? Malika. He needed his best friend, the friend who had fought for him, loved him just as he was, accepted him, before he could fully accept himself. The friend who was so much more like the sister he had been denied as a child. His parents having successfully coupled to produce himself, spent the remainder of their lives in the arms of their lovers instead of each other.  
Dorian chuckled when he remembered Malika’s furious face, furious on his behalf no less, as she stormed around his library in Skyhold, ranting about “Giselle’s pompous, arrogant, shameful display” and how she had turned on the revered mother and informed Giselle in clear detail exactly where she could put her allegations of Dorian’s propriety.  
“Carissime, I need you.” Dorian whispered, holding the ruby crystal close to his lips. He knew Cullen woke before the dawn, and went to bed late, as he balanced his farming duties and counseling duties. He was sought after by young knight captains, and knight commanders wanting to be free of their lyrium addictions, and needing a guiding hand. 

Almost immediately he hears, “Dorian? What is wrong, Sweetheart?” The wall he has carefully been tending splinters. Hairline cracks in his composure, grief threatening to rend his defenses. He hesitates, “Dorian-Love, I am packing right now. Expect me in your eluvian room in 4 minutes.” “Amicum, you don’t- “. The next second he hears a loud string of Ferelden expletives, accompanied by the sound of someone tripping heavily over boxes. An unexpected giggle escapes his lips as he remembers, he and Bull had used the eluvian room for storage, leaving just enough room to squeeze past one another while working in there, because sometimes, it was more fun if you worked for it.  
And then she was there.“Oh, Malika! You shouldn’t have come right away! Poor Cullen will be so very cross at me for taking you away from him in the middle of the night like this. Whatever would your servants think?”  
Malika laughs despite the growing concern. “Don’t make me yell at you, Dorian! What happened, dear heart? Is Bull running a late mission with the Chargers? Did you two get into another fight over the political ramifications of – what is wrong, Love?!?!?!” Shock resolves itself on her face as she sees the tears coursing down Dorian’s cheeks. The realization of Bull’s demise, written all over Malika’s dwarven features, releases the wall Dorian had erected around his composure, allowing him to weep freely. She snakes her arms around him, and holds him close to her heart, while the storm of shared grief rolls on into the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s note:  
> Mild cannon divergence. I adore Cullen and was super sad to learn that he is only available to Human/Elf females. *sniff*  
> There will be more along this line. I am writing to deal with my own grief from sudden, shocking deaths in my own family. 2016 is not my favorite year.
> 
> I do not own, or pretend to own any characters from Dragon Age Inquisition. These are just beloved characters that the developers at Bioware have gifted to us.  
> Latin is employed in place of Tevene, except for conversation, and comments taken directly from the game.


End file.
